Foot-rest foe automobiles



J. POLLAK.

FOOT BEST FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13,. WW.

1 03,956 Pabented May 20, 1919.

PATENT canton.

JOSEPH POLLAK, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOOT-REST FOB, AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent. iatented May 20, 1919.

Application filed February 13, 1919. Serial No. 276,735;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH POLLAK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Foot-Rests for Automobiles, of which the following is aspeciequipped for controlling the throttle of the motor by pressure of the foot. It is cause of fatigue and discomfort to the driver, particularly in making long trips, if he is obliged to operate the accelerator by pressure of the unsupported sole of his foot, and the foot rest in which the present invention is embodied is provided in order to relieve the driver of this cause of fatigue and discomfort, by furnishing as an accessory to the car a permanent rest or holder for the foot having means through which pressure may be transmitted to the accelerator, such means being sufliciently rigid to transmit such pressure without applying a concentrated resistance against the sole of the operators shoe.

A further object is to provide in a foot rest of the character indicated provisions for adjustment to fit feet of different lengths, adjustments to adapt the same foot rest to cars having different characters of accelerators differently positioned, to provide upon the rest a yielding support for the instep of the drivers foot, and in genera]. to provide a simple device of this character having the characteristics above named and capable of being manufactured in large quantities at lowcost.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of that part of an automobile floor uplon which the foot rest is mounted and in w ich the'mOtoI' accelerator is located, my approved foot rest being represented as ap lied thereto and shown in section.

ig. 2 is a plan view of the foot rest so shown.

. support.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a part of the foot rest showing in detail the means employed for maintaining the adjustment of the adjustable parts. i

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are'perspective views of some of the main parts of the foot rest separated from one another.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the heel support.

Figs. 8 and 9 are perspective views respectively of the bolt and the thumb nut associated therewith for securing the adjustable parts in their adjusted positions.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the instep The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In Fig. 1, 10 represents the floor of the automobile, 11 the upwardly inclined for- ,ward part of such floor, with which practically all motor cars are provided, which extends to the dash board. 12 represents the accelerator which is here conventionally shown and the showing of which may be taken as typical of any sort of a device which may be applied to any car for operation by the foot of the driver to control the speed of the motor either through the throttle or otherwise.

The foot rest is mounted upon the floorlO and is composed of a base 13 which is secured'to the floor,.a rock frame 14 which is pivoted upon the base, and a heel rest 15 and presser 16 which are adjustably secured to the rock frame. There is also an instep support 17 which is a useful although not an essential art of the device. I claim it as a part of the invention but its use is optional and it may be omitted without departure from the essence of the invention or from the shelter of the protection which is given by certain of the following claims.

Allof these parts 'arehere shown as made of sheet metal, being so designed that they may be cut and stamped from sheet stock by punch and die work in a small number of operations and at a low cost for material and labor.

The base 13, which is shown in perspective in Fig. 3, 1s made from a single blank flange 18 which bears against the automobile floor. It is provided with holds 19 to admit attaching screws 20. Nearitsforwardend tongues are struck out from the material of the base between its sides and are perforated and bent up, forminglugs 21 having eyes 22 in which are mounted the ends of pivot pin 23 by which the rock frame is connected to it.

The rock frame 14, shown in perspective in Fig. at, has wings projectingfrom its opposite edges in the blank, which wings are bent down to form supporting arms 24, each having a series of holes 25 through any one of which the pivot pin 23 may be passed whereby to permit of its being adjusted to diiferent 'heights. The edges of the blank are likewise bent down throughout their entire length to form stifienin 'flan'ges 26. In this 'rock frame is a longitudinal slot 27 havingsubstantially straight and parallel sides; and adjacent'toits opposite edges are two lines ofofiset spots 28 which provide sockets in one surface of the piece and projections or spurs from the opposite surface.

, These offset spurs and sockets are provided in order to secure the adjustments of atheheel support and presser as presently described; and, instead of being provided at isolatedpoints, they maybe formed, as offset lines extending across the top of the rock frame, ortas lips or tongues cut from the stock and'bent either up or down.

The heel rest or supportis formed at its rear edge with an upturned flange 29 to hold the heel of the drivers foot from slipping back, and it ist'here' of suflicient widthto conform approximately to the outline of the rear side of the'heel. Its forward part is of substantially equal width with the top of the rock frame 14 and is adapted to lie over the same, having stiffeningflanges at its edges'spaced to embrace such rock frame top. This part is provided with a square 'hole 30 registering with the" slot 27 inthe ing with the slot 27in the-rock frame, and

in lines adjacent to its edges are sockets or recesses 34: complemental' to the offset studs of the rock frame and preferably formed in the same manner as aret'he'latter. 'When the latter aremade otherwise than by oflsetting isolated spots of the metah thesockets ,34 are correspondingly modified. Its fore wardend extends beyond the rock frame 'an'd has a concave front edge 35 adapting it to register with a convex accelerator. The stiffenlng ribs termlnate short of this forward edge, and, between such ribs and the adjacent to the head which is substantially as wide as-the hole 3O and theslot 27, being thus-adapted to-engage'the sides of said hole and slot to hold the heel support in line with the rock'frame; The length of this square part is less than the combined thickness of the overlapping heel piece, rock frame=and presser, and the threaded part ofthe shank l extendsfar enough to permit the nut to be screwed tight-up against the under'surface V of the presser. Thesquarepart 39is simply means cooperating with the edges of the hole 30 and slot 27 for liningthe heel piece and rock frame; and, as like functions maybe secured by other specific forms-0f bolt, 1 do not restrict my claim in allrespects to that specific detail.

I have shown in :Figs. 1 and-2 a spring 4'0 coiled helically around the pivot pin 23 with one end bearing against the base-and the other against the rockframe, this spring being provided and arranged "to hold the foot rest normally in theposition shown'in Fig. 1; but this spring maybe omitted and the center ofgravity of the foot rest'may be placed to accomplish this result, or-the accelerator alone relied uponunder the urge of a spring with which-itis-equipped to push back the foot rest when the pressure of the driversfoot affecting-the accelerator isreleased. I I

The instep support 17 is a bent strip of sheet metal, one part of which lies against the heel support and has-a slot 42 to-receive the clamping bolt, and the opposite partof which is held by the conformation of the piece away from the heelsupport. This in step support may be adjusted forward or back until placed in the most convenient position, and 'it may be bent until it comfortably conforms to instep part of the drivers shoe. *The material of which it is made has sufficient resilience to givea spring support, but at the same time its elastic limit is "low enough to enable itt'o be given a permanent set by bending, whereby to conform to the foot as-abovedescribed.

Preferablythe sheet metal'emplo'yed in 11 this foot rest uis steel, but I dofnot restrict my protection thereto.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the foot rest gives an extended support to the entire length of the drivers foot from the heel to the ball thereof, and that it transmits downward pressure applied from the foot to the accelerator without concentrating such pressure upon any narrow area of the shoe sole. Thereby the driver is relieved of the fatigue and the discomfort incident to operating the accelerator by the unsupported foot. The value of the device is particularly marked in cases where the driver wears shoes having flexible soles.

The foot rest may likewise be adjusted up or down by means of the holes 25 in the rock frame, and in or out at either end, whereby to be accommodated to different installations and to feet of different lengths.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A foot rest comprising a base, a frame pivoted upon said base, a heel support, and a forward extension or presser on said frame, both the heel support and the forward extension or presser being pieces separate from the frame and being independently adjustable forward and back.

2. A foot rest comprising a base, a rocking member pivoted upon said base having parts arranged to support the heel and forepart of a persons foot, and a sprlngy instep support mounted on said rocking member in position to be pressed upon by the instep of such foot.

3. A foot rest comprising a base, a frame pivoted upon said base, a heel support, and a forward extension or presser on said frame, the forward extension or presser being a separate piece from the frame and being adjustable forward and back, said rock frame and heel support having on one of them a projection or spur and on the other a series of recesses adapted to receive said spur and thereby maintain relative adjustments of said parts.

4E. A foot rest comprising a base, a frame pivoted upon said base, a heel support, and a forward extension or presser on said frame, both the heel support and the forward extension or presser being pieces separate from the frame and being independently adjustable forward and back, said extension and rock frame having on one of them a projection or spur and on the other a series of sockets each adapted to receive said projection, whereby to maintain the adjustments of said parts.

5. A foot rest composed of a frame portion, a heel support, a forward extension, and a clamp, said frame, heel support and extension having overlapping parts, and the clamp being arranged to grip said overlapping parts together, permitting adjustment of one relatively to another when relaxed, and securing adjustments thereof when tightened.

6. A foot rest composed of a frame portion, a heel support, a forward extension, and a clamp, said frame, heel support and extension having overlapping parts, and the clamp being arranged to grip said overlapping parts together, permitting adjustment of one relatively to another when relaxed, and securing adjustments thereof when tightened, said overlapping parts being of sheet metal and the one which is intermediate the other two being offset to produce in one surface a series of sockets, and in the opposite surface outstanding spurs, that part which overlies the last named part having a spur adapted to enter individual ones of the sockets, and the part which underlies the same having recesses adapted to receive said spurs, the entrance of said spurs in the recesses serving to secure the parts in adjusted position when they are clamped to ether.

A foot rest composed of a frame portion, a heel support, a. forward extension, and a clamp, said frame, heel support and extension having overlapping parts, and the clamp being arranged to grip said overlapping parts together, permitting adjustment of one relatively to another when relaxed. and securing adjustments thereof when tightened, said clamp being comprised by a bolt passing through the said overlapping parts, serving to grip the overlapping parts between itself and the head of the bolt.

8. A foot rest composed of a frame portion, a heel support, a forward extension, anda clamp, said frame, heel support and extension having overlapping parts, and the clamp being arranged to grip said overlapping parts together, permitting adjustment of one relatively to another when relaxed, and securing adjustments thereof when tightened, said clamp being comprised by a bolt passing through the said overlapping parts, and a nut threaded upon said bolt and serving to grip the overlapping parts between itself and the head of the bolt, one of the aforesaid parts having a non-circular hole and the bolt shank having parallel sides in that portion which occupies the said overlapping parts, whereby to maintain them in line during adjustment.

9. A foot rest comprising parts arranged to support the heel and ball of a foot, a base upon which said rest is mounted, and an instep support comprising a spring strip, one end of which is secured to said rest and the balance of which is bent upward away from and over the same to form a resilient member adapted to support the instep part of the users foot.

10. A foot rest comprising parts arranged to support the heel and ball of a foot, a base upon which said rest is mounted, and an instep support comprising a spring strip,

and a nut threaded upon said bolt and one end of which is secured to said rest a clamping bolt passing through said slot and the balance of which is bent upward permitting adjustment of the instep support away from and over the same to form a and holding it in its adjusted positions. 10 resilient member adapted to support the V In testimony whereof I have aflixed my instep part of the users foot, that part of signature.

the instep support which bears against the foot rest being longitudinally slotted and JOSEPH POLLAK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

